Sarah's Choice
by Nikki Flinn
Summary: Sarah gets bitten by a vampire and has to choose between Jareth and Dracula. FINISHED


Sarah Williams rubbed her neck as she walked home. The red had finally left the area around the twin marks on her neck. But the wounds themselves just refused to heal. She wasn't too worried. They would go away in their own sweet time.

She mounted the steps to her Victorian house in Massachusetts. She was about to put in her key when she stopped. She looked over her shoulder at the woods around the somewhat deserted land. It was nearly dark, but there! Out of the corner of her eye she saw the twin amber eyes of a goblin. Jareth was keeping tabs on her as always. She smiled almost to her self and let herself into the house.

She had inherited the house from her father when he died who had gotten it from his grandfather. It was a beautiful house. When her father died, Sarah's stepmother insisted on moving. Sarah wouldn't hear of it. So Rachel moved south, and Sarah kept the house. About a year ago Toby, Sarah's half brother, showed up. Rachel had been found guilty on several accounts of embezzlement. So Sarah took her eight year old brother in and sheltered him until the law would say he was old enough to move out (eighteen). Sarah liked her brother and was glad she got to spend the next ten years of her life with hi‚ï¾.

"Sarah! Sarah! Sarah! You'll never guess what I got to do today in school!"

Sarah grinned at her energetic younger brother. Toby had all the energy of a puppy and what ever he did she knew it must have been great. As Sarah played twenty questions, she led Toby into the kitchen and started a dinner of spaghetti (when she managed to pry what he wanted for dinner that was the first thing to come out of his mouth).

Toby gave a giggle, one that sounded more like a laugh everyday and said, "You'll never guess!"

Sarah gave an exaggerated sigh, more to keep him amused than anything. "Well then why don't you tell me?"

He gave that giggle as Sarah handed him his plate and sat at the table. Sarah looked at him as he ate. Toby was getting to be more of a man every day. He had the good looks and grown-up personality. His time in the labyrinth had changed him and like Sarah he never took anything for granted. He would be serious and never make crude jokes.

"Well," he said when at last he stopped shoveling food into his mouth. "Josh Hater and I got called on to read our math home work out loud, only Josh hadn't done his and the teacher was really pissed so she told me that half of my answers were wrong even though they weren't, and when I told her this, she got really mad, so I showed her how I did them and Josh said I was right and she got really mad and sent us up to the Principal. But Principal Withers was wicked cool. She told us we were right and even let us stay in her office for the rest of the class and had us do problems and told us we could move to a higher class. Then Josh got really happy when he heard this and I told him about how I got to skip my last class and was really a year a head in two classes. And he though this was wicked cool but he said something else instead which I told you I wouldn't say and I'm not aren't you proud of me? So Josh asked me if I wanted to spend the night at his house and I said I had to ask you and he asked why I called my mom by her first name and I told him about you being my sister and my mom being in jail but I didn't tell him about the time you saved me from the goblin kingdom because I didn't want him to get jealous and try to wish himself into the Labyrinth. Would that work by the way? I always wondered about that. So can I go to his house?"

This was all said in a rush with little pauses when Toby ran out of breath. Sarah smiled at her brother and fought the urge to laugh. She knew this was very serious to Toby and didn't want to disillusion him.

"Of course you can."

"Oh Sarah, you're the best sister ever!" he threw his arms around her neck. "Just wait till I tell Josh."

"Better wait till tomorrow, little man, you have school, up to bed."

Toby always seemed to know when Sarah could and couldn't be pushed. "Can I stay up and hour and finish my book?"

Sarah laughingly acquiesced.

Sarah turned off Toby's light. He hadn't made the hour when Sarah read his book to him. Fellowship of the Rings. The boy would be a writer one day, no mistake.

She crossed the hall to the same room she'd lived in all her life, Toby lived in their parents' old room. She opened the door and stared. A man sat on her bed, apparently waiting for her. He had hair that was, if possible, darker than black and eyes the color of honey. He was, if at all possible, sexier and more irresistible than any man she had met other than Jareth, and even that would be close.

"Who the Hell are you and what the hell are you doing in my room?" she all but shrieked, only the thought of her brother sleeping in the next room kept her voice low.

"Funny," he said, his voice sliding over her, caressing. "That wasn't what you said last time I was here."

"I ask you again, who the hell are you-"she began, her voice faltering slightly, more upset by what he said then he cared to tell.

"And what the Hell are you doing here." He mimicked in a sing song voice. "Honestly, I would have thought some one who had defeated the Labyrinth and that I, Count Dracula had hand picked, would be able to come up with something a little more original."

"How's this moron? If you don't answer my first two questions, I'll dig out your heart with a plastic spoon and burn my initials on your tongue."

"Not bad. I am Count Dracula. And I came to finish what I started."

"If you don't cut out this Dracula shit, I'm calling the paramedics. Don't they have a name for your disorder and what is this Labyrinth you mentioned?"

"Oh Sarah, the time for games is not now. You know the Labyrinth of which I speak. Eight years ago you spoke words no vampire can ever remember. Indeed even were you to banish me to this Labyrinth, I would never know what you said."

"Not a bad idea," Sarah said, "I wish—"

Sarah never got to finish, in an instant he was behind her, hand over her mouth. "Let's not spoil the fun just yet." He whispered, pushing her hair off her neck and letting go of her mouth. "Why Sarah, What lovely scars you have, where ever did you get them?" he mocked.

"You did that?" at his soft laugh she said, "How do you know my name?"

"I'm a vampire, Sarah. Now, any last words before you become my slave for all eternity?"

"Just one," she paused, whether for dramatic effect, to gain her courage or to think of a word that would stop him, I don't know, but then she said, "Jareth."

Thunder crashed and lightning sparked. And there was Jareth. Just as handsome and dangerous as he had been eight years ago. With an almost negligent wave, he sent Dracula flying. Dracula got up and faced him.

"Well, Sarah. It seems you have a choice." Dracula hissed.

Sarah looked from one to the other.

"Sarah," Dracula whispered. "I offer you immortality, youth, life,-"

"And damnation." Sarah finished. "Don't you think I read the books? Your kind are doomed never to know the safety of heaven. You will rot in Hell."

He stepped closer and hissed. "If you leave, I will make Toby one of my kinds. It's your choice. Your salvation or his. You gave up your dreams to save him once, would it be so hard to do it again?"

Sarah looked away. When she controlled her tears and looked up, it was Jareth who stood before her. With out a word, he took her in his arms.

"Sarah. You know what I offer. I can't hope to rule you; I'd die if I tried. I offer you everything and all you have to do is love me. I know you feel for me. Maybe not what I feel for you, but it's enough. I offer you the sun the moon, the stars, everything you could want. But, I can't protect Toby, he would have to willingly consent to spend his life in the Labyrinth and I know that's not what you want. Just know what ever you chose, the Stars or the Night, I will always love you."

Sarah stood over Toby's bed, looking down at the sleeping boy. She laid the note on his pillow, beside his head.

"You chose the best option. Now enjoy your last sunrise while I get some sleep." Said the voice from the coffin.

Sarah looked over at the coffin. After a few moments there came a light snoring. The coffin was right in the way of the sun. She looked at her watch. Ten minutes to sunrise.

She pried open the coffin, throwing the lid across the room. The vampire slept.

In a quiet singsong voice, she began to croon, "Goblin King, Goblin King, where ever you may be, take this child of mine far away from me."

"What's this rubbish, it doesn't even start with I wish." Came the familiar voice. Sarah leaned her head against the Goblin King's shoulder.

"Now then, why did you really call me? Tired of dear departed already?"

"I wish the goblins would come and take me away, right now." Sarah whispered.

"Your wish is my command."

In a small Victorian house in Massachusetts, the dying screams of the world's oldest vampire could be heard by none. A charred mass lay on the floor, halfway to the shadows.

A letter written in neat writing lay crumpled on the floor, tear marks on it.

Dear Toby,

I'm sorry to leave you like this. Know always that where ever I am I will always be watching over you...

Sarah knelt by the stream. She scooped up a handful of water and let it fall back. The sky glittered with stars and so did her neck. Tiny little white fires flamed their way across the silver threads, yet none stung her.

"Well Sarah," Jareth began, gathering her into his arms. "How do you like your stars?"


End file.
